Jumping Over the Rainbow
By Ronnie Van der Merwe
This memoir follows the journey of a young South African man on a quest to find himself. His family and religion require him to be straight, but he’s not. He left college to follow his dreams, and becoming an au pair in Germany for a year is only part of it. Growing up in apartheid South Africa, Ronnie isn’t used to the neighborhood, traditions, or food of his host family. He struggles to learn about allergies, recycling, and new traffic laws. He begins to make friends with other au pairs. Joining a local sports club introduces him to more new people. As a group they become good friends, and spend much time together, traveling, and clubbing.
Dealing with homesickness, feeling out of place, and being uncomfortable in a new situation is something this author dealt with while in Germany; and he brings it to the forefront in his memoir. A reader can’t help but be touched by the conflicting feelings. Defying expectations is life changing. Will the author have the strength to defy everyone and be true to himself?
I received this book for free for this review.
Ronnie Eric Van der Merwe is a 47 year old black, gay, South African man. He is a father to a 6 year old adopted daughter. He is permanently employed as a nurse. Ronnie loves writing, reading and traveling. Three years ago Ronnie obtained his qualifications as a journalist. He freelances and regularly writes for various health publications and community newspapers.
In April 2020 he self published his short memoir titled: JUMPING OVER THE RAINBOW. The book is about his experience living and working as a young, black naive male au-pair in Europe. The book is about the author’s struggles and triumphs and finding freedom. The book is available on Smashwords and Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. It is also available on Kobo. In South Africa his book is sold at Protea bookshop. The author has already started working on his second book.
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Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1008813